St. Mary’s Preparatory is a Catholic high school for 550 boys in grades 9 – 12. The school’s 125-acre campus is located on the East Shore of Orchard Lake in Southeast Michigan, and is shared by Madonna University and SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary. Founded in 1885, St. Mary’s continues to offer a college preparatory curriculum to boys. We have achieved great success in this venture as 100% of graduates are accepted to colleges and universities throughout Michigan, the United States, and even the world each year. An average class size of 18 students and a student to teacher ratio of 11:1 assure that students will receive the attention they need and deserve during their time at the school.

SCHOOL VISITS Spend a day with a current student and see what it’s really like to attend St. Mary’s! We’ll treat you to lunch, and even count this as your interview.

Mission Statement

St Mary’s Preparatory is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school with a Polish-American heritage and legacy since 1885 A.D. We exist to provide deserving young men the moral guidance, discipline, and education to become Christ-like models of service and leadership for the world. By completion of our spiritual and educational model, these men gain the character, reverence, and fortitude to meet all challenges for the greater glory of God and their alma mater.

Saint Mary’s Preparatory is a four year secondary program of pre-college studies in a disciplined environment preparing young men for future study and careers of service. The Prep has a day student and boarding school program. St. Mary’s is accredited by the State of Michigan Board of Education, the Archdiocese of Detroit, and MNSAA/MANS. Almost 100% of our graduates attend college.

History

The Academic Building of the Michigan Military was constructed in 1877 and was described in an 1891 publication as "one of the most complete school buildings in the West." The building still serves as an Academic Center for St. Mary’s Preparatory. Among those who attended classes here were Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of Tarzan, and Frank Joslyn Baum, whose father wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On June 1, 1909, the history of Michigan Military Academy at Orchard Lake came to an end with its sale by the Rogers family to Attorney Allen Campbell, who represented an unknown purchaser. The bid had been $24,000, subject to nodded indebtedness held by the Union Trust Company, and the widow’s dower amounting to about $8,000. The final price came to $83,000 and the sale was completed on June 22, 1909, when Attorney Campbell handed the attorney for the Roger’s Estate a check for $24,000.

For a period of times many had thought that the Jesuits had purchased the property; however, the rumor soon began that officers of the Polish Seminary in Detroit had been looking over the grounds, since their present quarters, in Detroit , had proven to be inadequate for the growing number of students.

The only building to exist on the grounds prior to the founding of the Academy was "The Castle." Built in 1858 by Judge Joseph Tarr Copeland upon his retirement from the Michigan Supreme Court, the ten-room house was converted into a hotel in 1872 with the additional of two wooden wings. The panic of 1873 killed the enterprise. In 1877, Captain Joseph Sumner Rogers purchased the hotel and on September 4, 1877, the Michigan Military Academy was incorporated.

With a wing projecting from the back, the Mess Hall would later become the Campus Chapel and finally our "Galeria." The rear wing burned to the ground.

Joseph Sumner Rogers, Founder and Superintendent of the Michigan Military Academy. He was a tragic figure who died within hours of President William Mcnickly’s death in 1901